A  SHORT  BIOGRAPHY 


OF 


Reverend  Daniel  Efird. 


LEXINGTON,  S.  C. 
G.  M.  Ha  rman,  Book,  Newspaper,  anp  Job  Printer, 

1893. 


A  SHORT  BIOGRAPHY 

OF 

Reverend  Daniel  Efird. 


He  was  born  of  Martin  Efird  and  his  wife,  Mary,  November 
10th,  1824,  on  Long  Creek,  about  eight  miles  south  west  of  Alber- 
iimrle,  county  seat  of  Stanley  County,  and  about  four  miles  north 
of  Rocky  River;  in  State  of  North  Carolina;  and  died  of  apoplexy, 
in  Lexington  County,  South  Carolina,  at  his  residence  on  south 
side  of  Saluda  River,  about  four  miles  from  Lexington  C.  H.,  on 
14th  June,'  1891. 

His  father  died  when  he  was  quite  young,  leaving  very  little 
property  for  the  family,  and  he  worked  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
At  first  he  began  to  learn  the  cabinet  maker's  trad?,  but  after 
awhile  concluded  that  he  must  preach;  and  then  set  about  giving 
himself  such  education  as  he  could  obtain  from  the  schools  of  his 
native  County.  He  worked  awhile  and  then  went  to  school,  and, 
when  sufficiently  advanced,  alternately  taught  and  went  to  school 
until  his  attainments  were  thought  by  the  older  ministers, 
with  whom  he  was  then  surrounded,  to  be  sufficient  to  enable  him 
to  preach.  He  sang  fairly  well  and  taught  old  fashion  singing 
classes  whenever  he  could,  and  thus  also  assisted  himself.  His 
education  was  what  was  in  those  days  furnished  in  the  common 
country  schools,  and  was  of  no  high  order.  There  were  not  in. 
those  days,  as  now,  denominational  colleges  of  high  grade  and 
small  expenses. 

His  theological  training  was  done  by  Revs.  Moser  and  P.  C. 

0 

to  -s 

m 


2 


A  SHORT  BIOGRAPHY  OF 


Henkel,  and  was  as  thorough  as  those  men  could  make  it.  He 
was  received  by  the  Tennessee  Synod  as  a  student  of  theology 
at  Solomon's  Church,  Shanandoah  County,  Va.,  September  30th, 
1848.  He  received  from  Rev.  P.  C.  Henkel,  August  3d,  1849, 
license  to  preach  until  meeting  of  Synod.  At  the  following 
meeting  of  Synod,  October  25th,  1849,  he  was  examined  by  Revs. 
J.  R.  Peterson  and  T.  Moser,  and  licensed  to  preach,  catachise 
and  marry.  At  the  meeting  at  Solomon's  Church,  Green  County, 
Te  rn.,  September  14th,  1850,  he  was  ordained  Deacon.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  while  a  student  of  theology  at  Grace 
Church,  Catawba  County,  North  Carolina,  30th  June,  1849,  and 
during  these  years  he  preached  at  various  points  in  North  Caro- 
lina and  upper  South  Carolina,  but  his  labors  were  confined 
chiefly  to  the  Churches  of  Flat  Rock,  Morning  Star,  Emanuel, 
Luther  Union  and  St.  Martin's  in  North  Carolina,  and  Bethlehem 
in  Lancaster  Cjunty,  South  Carolina,  which  Churches  he  seems 
to  have  regularly  supplied. 

His  first  visit  to  South  Carolina  was  made  in  March,  1851,  on 
horseback.  He  rode  from  his  home  in  North  Carolina,  through 
Lancaster  County,  to  Camden,  thence  to  Columbia  and  across 
Broad  River  into  the  Dutch  Fork  to  the  home  of  Rev.  G.  Dreher, 
living  then  on  the  north  side  of  Saluda  River,  about  fourteen 
miles  from  Columbia  and  six  miles  from  Lexington  Village,  near 
the  memorable  "Dreher's  Ford.'  I  have  not  been  able  to  as- 
certain what  influence  brought  him  to  South  Carolina,  but  I  infer 
from  his  associations  that  he  was  influenced  to  come  by  Rev.  T. 
Moser,  who  had  been  here  and  knew  the  condition  of  things,  and 
I  am  reliably  informed  that  Rev.  G.  Dreher  had  asked  the  minis- 
ters in  North  Carolina  to  send  some  one  to  his  assistance,  and  it 
m  ly  also  have  been  the  combined  influence  of  the  ministers  iu 
his  vicinity.  Upon  his  ariival  he  found  Rev.  G.  Dreher  exceed- 
ingly feeble  in  health,  and  the  eight  Churches  under  his  pastoral  care 
in  bad  condition,  only  three  of  which  were  really  fully  sustaining 
themselves  as  church  organizations;  and  now,  since  others  had 
failed  to  come  to  their  assistance  and  their  pastor  was  fast  step- 
ping from  his  active  labors,  they  felt  as  if   they  must  soon  give 


REVEREND  DANIEL  EFIRD. 


3 


up  all  and  go  into  the  other  Chinches  surrounding  them,  with 
whom  they  did  not  entirely  agree  in  doctrine  and  practice,  and 
which  would  have  been  unpleasant  to  many  of  them. 

Previous  to  this  they  had  been  visited  by  Revs.  A.  J.  Brown, 
— .  — .  Roads,  — .  — .  Hull,  T.  Moser,  A.  J.  Fox  and  E.  Rudisill, 
neither  of  whom  would  consent  to  remain  and  engage  in  the  work. 

He  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Lexington  County  in  St. 
Peter's  (Meetze's  Church)  on  Saturday,  the  24th  of  March,  1851,  and 
then  consecutively  at  Salem,  St.  Paul's,  St.  Jacob's,  St.  Peter's, 
(Piney  Woods)  and  Zion,  returning  to  his  work  in  North  Car- 
olina by  April  6th,  1851.  There  he  remained  preaching  regularly 
in  the  Churches  above  mentioned  until  November,  1851;  when 
he  left  his  native  State,  and  his  family,  and  his  connections,  and 
his  home,  and  his  friends  to  come  into  a  strange  land,  among 
strangers,  and  among  people  disheartened  and  dispirited  by  a 
twenty  years'  religious  strife.  Upon  this  second  and  final  trip 
his  first  sermon  was  preached  in  Salem  Church  on  twenty-third 
of  November,  1851. 

At  that  time  there  were  eight  Churches  under  the  care  of 
Rev.  G-.  Dreher,  St.  Paul's,  Salem,  St.  Peters  (Meetze's,)  and 
Zion  on  the  south  side  of  Saluda  River,  and  Bethlehem,  St. 
Jacob's,  St.  John's  and  St.  Peter's  (Piney  Woods),  on  the  north 
side.  Of  these  Churches  two,  St.  John  and  Salem,  were  used  by 
.  two  congregations  each,  one  served  by  Rev.  Dreher  and  the  other 
in  connection  with  the  South  Carolina  Synod  and  served  by 
various  pastors.  In  Salem  Church  this  continued  until  about 
1857,  when,  by  general  consent,  the  congregation,  then  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Tennessee  Synod,  built  Cedar  Grove  Church,  about 
one-half  mile  from  Salem,  and  continued  to  worship  there.  At 
St.  John's  Church,  the  twro  congregations  continued  to  worship  in 
the  same  house  until  1891. 

Rev.  Dreher  retained  the  pastoral  care  of  these  Churches  so 
long  as  he  was  able  until  about  January,  1854,  and  Rev.  Efird 
labored  under  hiin  as  assistant.  During  1852  the  question  of 
Synodical  connection  came  up  and  was  generally  and  fully  dis- 
cussed.   Rev.  Dreher  wanted  to  get  another  minister  to  join  him 


4 


A  SHORT  BIOGRAPHY  OF 


in  forming  another  Synod  in  South  Carolina,  but  Rev.  Efird  took 
the  view  that  the  Churches  in  South  Carolina  were  too  weak  to 
form  a  body.  The  people  concluded,  after  a  careful  examination 
of  the  Constitution  of  the  Tennessee  Synod,  which  was  during 
this  summer  read  and  explained  in  each  Church,  that  they  would 
go  into  that  Synod  upon  condition  that  Rev.  Efird  would  agree 
to  remain  with  them  and  take  charge  of  their  Churches  after  Rev. 
Dreher  had  complete  his  work  for  them.  A  Council  meeting  was 
called  at  Zion's  Church  during  the  summer  of  1852,  which  was 
composed  of  the  Elders  of  the  various  Churches,  and  at  that 
meeting  it  was  decided  to  petition  the  Tennessee  Synod  at  its 
next  session  for  admission.  The  necessary  papers  were  then 
prepared  in  the  form  of  petitions  signed  by  the  members  of  the 
different  Churches,  and  the  Churches  collectively  elected  as  com- 
missioners to  present  these  papers  to  the  Tennessee  Synod  at  its 
meeting  October  27,  1852,  in  Salem  Church,  Lincoln  County, 
N.  C:  Brethren  John  Mayer,  Micheal  Drafts  and  Jacob  Wheeler. 
At  this  meeting  of  Synod  the  proper  action  was  taken  to  connect 
these  Churches  with  the  Tennessee  Synod,  which  connection  they 
maintain  until  this  day.  He  was  ordained  at  this  meeting  of 
Synod. 

He  married  July  1st.  1852,  Henrietta  M.  Dreher,  youngest 
daughter  of  Rev  G.  Dreher.  Of  this  union  came  six  children, 
Alice  M.,  Mary  Jane,  Cyprian  M  ,  D.  Franklin,  Emilie  and  Belle, 
of  which  Mary  Jane  died  when  an  infant,  and  Emilie  and  Belle 
died  each  at  about  the  age  of  nine  year?.  He  made  his  home  with 
Rev.  G.  Dreher  until  hi  1854,  he  purchased  and  moved  to  a  small 
farm  in  the  Piney  Woods  section  of  the  Folk,  ou  the  Ridge  Road, 
about  three  miles  from  Saluda  River,  and  about  ten  miles  further 
up  the  River  than  the  settlement  of  Rev.  Dreher.  This  place  he 
settled  and  improved  and  lived  thereon  with  his  family,  whom  he 
raised  and  educated,  until  the  spring  of  188-i,  when  he  moved  to 
the  south  side  of  Saluda  River  just  across  from  the  Old  Dreher 
Home-tead. 

When  Rev.  Dreher  was  stricken  with  paralysis  about  Janu- 
ary, 1851,  Rev.  Efird  was  called,  to  take  pastoral  care  of  all  the 
Churches  in  South  Carolina  in  Tennessee  Synod.     He  then  lived 


REVEREND  DANIEL  EFIRD. 


5 


about  ten  miles  from  St.  John's,  fourteen  from  Bethlehem,  seven 
from  St.  Jacob's,  three  from  St.  Peter's  (Piney  Woods),  seventeen 
from  Zion,  twelve  from  Salem,  ten  from  St.  Paul's,  eight 
from  (Meetze's  or)  St.  Peter's.  During  this  year  there  were  a 
number  of  deaths  in  this  territory  and  Rev.  Efird,  much  of  the 
time,  was  almost  continuously  in  the  saddle  and  he  rode  down 
one  of  the  best  horses  he  ever  owned.  In  October,  1854,  Rev. 
Adam  Efird,  a  brother  of  Rev.  D.  Efird,  moved  to  South  Carolina 
from  North  Carolina  in  wagons  with  his  family,  and  located  near 
Lexington  C.  H.,  on  the  "Addison  Place."  (one  of  the  gentlemen 
who  carried  his  wagon  from  South  Carolina  to  North  Carolina  to 
assist  in  moving  Rev.  A.  Efird,  Brother  John  Mayer,  is  still  alive), 
and  he  took  pastoral  charge  of  the  Churches  south  of  Saluda 
River,  Zion,  Ceflar  Grove,  St.  Paul  and  St.  Peter's  (Meetze's)  and 
Emanuel's,  which  was  organized  during  1854,  and  received  into 
the  Synod  at  its  meeting  at  Piney  Woods  Church,  November, 
1854. 

From  this  time  until  1869,  the  two  brothers  labored  in  and 
cultivated  as  best  they  could  the  field.  Daniel  having  the  pas- 
toral care  of  the  four  Churches  on  north  side  of  Saluda,  and 
Adam  the  five  on  south  side,  e~ch  labore^1  in  his  own  field,  except 
that  they  both  tried  to  be  present  at  the  communions  held  in  each 
Church.  In  1869  Rev.  Adam's  health  began  to  fail  and  the  care 
of  the  whole  field  again  devolved  on  Daniel.  Adam  died  in 
September,  1870,  and  Daniel  kept  watch  over  and  labored  for  the 
nine  congregations  alone  until  Rev.  A.  L.  Crouse  came  down  in 
1871  as  an  assistant.  Daniel  retained  control  and  management 
of  the  work,  until  in  December,  1872,  Rev.  Crouse  was  elected 
pastor  of  the  Churches  south  of  the  River,  which  relation  he  sus- 
tained until  his  health  compelled  him  to  resign  (about  1876)  the 
care  of  Z ion's,  Emanuel's,  Cedar  Grove  and  St.  Paul.  During 
this  time  Rev.  Crouse,  had  organized  and  built  two  Churches — 
St.  James'  at  Summit,  on  Charlotte,  Columbia  and  Augusta  Rail  - 
road in  1873,  and  St.  Thomas  in  Fork,  near  Saluda  River  in  1875. 

For  the  third  time  the  pastoral  relations  and  general  over- 
sight of  eight  Churches  again  pressed  upon  the  now  greying 


6 


A  SHORT  BIOGRAPHY  OF 


brow  of  Rev.  D.  Efird,  and  he  continued  to  labor  as  best  he 
could  for  thetn,  but  being  separated  by  miles  of  rough  country 
and  a  large  river  and  the  preaching,  marrying  and  burying  taking 
up  almost  all  his  time,  very  little  visiting  was  done.  This  was 
not  so  occasioned  because  he  did  not  attach  importance  to  these 
visits,  but  because  the  other  pastoral  duties  left  no  time  for  such 
things. 

In  1876  Messrs.  J.  K.  Efird,  E.  L.  Lybrand  and  J.  A. 
Cromer  came  to  his  assistance  and  preached  and  studied  under 
his  direction.  They  were  ordained  in  1878,  but  the  pastoral  care 
of  the  eight  Churches  was  still  left  with  him  until  about  1879, 
when  all  the  others,  except  the  four  on  the  north  side  of  river 
— St.  Peter's,  St.  John's,  St.  Jacob's  and  Bethleliem — were  placed 
under  the  care  of  the  younger  ministers,  they  still  assisting  him 
in  his  work  by  preaching  once  a  month  in  his  Churches  while  he 
did  the  same.  This  arrangement  was  continued  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1881,  when  he  resigned  these  Churches  on  account  of 
failing  health  and  of  dissatisfaction  in  St.  Jacob's  and  Piney 
Woods  Churches.  There  were  divisions  of  the  people,  a  majority 
wanting  to  retain  the  old  pastor  and  a  good  minority  desiring 
to  elect  a  younger  man.  For  the  purpose  of  restoring  peace  and 
harmony  among  the  members  this  step  was  taken,  and  the  man 
who  had  preached  the  Gospel  of  his  Master  to  these  people,  who 
had  amid  adverse  criticism,  and  unduly  exalted  human  reason, 
pieached  the  simple  Biblical  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
who  had  administered  to  them  the  sacraments  of  the  Church, 
who  had  buiied  their  dead,  and  married  their  sons  and  daughters 
and  baptized,  catechised  and  confirmed  their  children  for  a  period 
of  thirty  consecutive  years  ;  laid  down  once  for  all  their  pastoral 
cue.  and  what  a  load  it  must  have  been  of  not  less  than  2,000 
souls.  But  his  works  do  follow  him,  the  Churches  speak  for 
themselves,  and  no  words  of  mine  can  show  the  reader  the  results 
thereof  better  than  to  point  to  them  now  and  point  to  them  in 
1851,  then  they  stood  a  disheartened,  weak  and  dispirited  band, 
almost  afraid  to  confess  their  faith  before  men  ;  but  today  they 
stand  with  heads  erect,  with  loving  and  firm  convictions  that  the 


REVEREND  DANIEL  EFIRD. 


7 


faith  they  then  confessed  was  right  and  is  right,  and  now  all 
Lutherans  in  the  South  are  united  upon  the  common  confessions. 
And  all  this  he  lived  to  see.  How  his  soul  must  have  leaped  for 
joy  to  see  this  happy  result  from  so  much  dissension  and  bicker- 
ings. But  let  us  ascribe  it  all  as  he  did  to  the  wondrous  workings 
of  our  God. 

About  1878  and  1879  Rev.  J.  K.  Efird  was  called  to  Cedar 
Grove  and  St.  Peter's  (Meetze's);  Rev.  E.  L.  Lybrand  to  St. 
Paul's,  Zion's  and  St.  Andrews  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Cromer  to  Eman- 
uel's and  as  assistant  pastor  in  Piney  Woods,  St.  Jacob's  and 
Bethlehem.      Rev.  Crouse  retaining  St.  James'  and  Si.  Thomas. 

His  ministerial  diaries  show  that  he  has  preached  3,626 
sermons ;  performed  1,589  baptisms  ;  confirmed  1,111  persons 
and  married  255  couples.  What  Lutheran  minister  in  the  last 
half  century  has  accomplished  so  much  under  similar  cireum- 
s'ances? 

In  his  sermons,  Rev.  Efird  used  very  brief  notes,  if  any  at 
all.  His  style  was  animated;  he  spoke  with  spirit  and  rapidity 
and  his  supply  of  language  was  free  and  ready.  His  sermons 
were  seldom  embellished  or  explained  by  anecdote  or  narrative, 
but  were  of  the  old  school  Lutheran  type.  Biblical  doctrine  be- 
ing explained,  sustained  or  modified  as  occasion  required  by 
quotations  from  the  Bible  itself.  His  voice  was  naturally  strong, 
and  in  speaking  he  raised  it  almost  to  its  highest  key,  which  made 
him  easily  heard  in  every  portion  of  a  large  building. 

In  his  business  affairs  he  was  frugal  and  industrious.  He 
cultivated  successfully  his  little  farm  and  almost  raised  his  family 
thereon,  as  the  Churches  at  no  time  paid  him  a  living  salary. 

In  1869 he,  in  copartnership  with  Hon.  J.  H.  Counts,  com- 
menced a  small  mercantile  business  at  Pine  Ridge,  his  home, 
which  was  conducted  mostly  by  him  until  the  dissolution  of  the 
partnership  in  1875,  and  the  business  was  then  continued 
for  several  years  and  then  permitted  to  go  down  as  his  family- 
decreased. 

Not  long  after  he  moved  to  the  Piney  Woods  in  connection 
with  several  neighbors,  a  framed  school  house  was  built  near  his 
home.    This  was  supplied  with  a  large  chimney  and  the  windows 


8 


A.  SHORT  BIOGRAPHY  OF 


with  glass.  The  house  was  much  better  than  most  school  houses 
of  that  day  in  thiscounty,  and  he  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the 
enterprise.  In  this  little  school  house  all  his  children  received 
the  rudiments  of  their  education. 

In  1869  and  '70  he  induced  the  .people  of  the  vicinity  to  form 
a  joint  stock  company  and  build  a  large  two  story  school  house, 
and  open  the  large  and  nourishing  Pine  Ridge  Academy,  to  which 
institution  many  young  persons  of  the  surrounding  country  can 
point  as  their  academical  alma,  mater. 

While  this  institution  was  conceived  and  originated  by  him, 
and  while  it  has  done  more  than  any  other  single  thing  to  awaken 
an  interest  in  education  in  that  vicinity,  yet  he  lived  to  see  in  it 
the  severest  trial  of  his  life.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  con- 
tinuously made  the  treasurer  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
handled  in  that  time  all  the  funds  for  the  school.  Some  difference 
between  himself  and  the  Board  as  to  his  liability  for  certain  funds 
coming  into  his  hands  finally  came  to  the  Synod  in  1876,  and  it 
appointed  as  a  committee  to  take  the  testimony  and  report  it  to 
the  Synod  :  Rev.  A.  J.  Fox  and  Hon.  A.  Costner.  In  May,  1877, 
they  took  the  testimony  of  both  sides  in  writing  at  Piney  Woods 
Church.  At  the  meeting  of  Synod  in  1877  the  matter  was  taken 
up  and  fully  considered,  and  he  was  exonerted. 

This  was  in  the  next  two  years  followed  by  two  suits  in  the 
civil  courts — one  by  him  against  several  parties  for  libel,  and  one 
by  the  Trustees  of  the  school  against  him  for  an  accounting. 
The  first  was  non  suited,  and  the  second  compromised.  These 
suits,  the  only  ones  in  which  he  was  ever  personally  engaged, 
caused  him  much  mental  distress  and  had  much  to  do  with  break- 
ing down  his  health.  Thus  has  many  a  good  man  been  brought  to 
grief  by  his  frieuds  and  by  those  for  whom  he  has  done  much. 


In  writing  these  pages  my  only  object  has  been  to  put  in 
shape  for  preservation,  the  plain  and  ungarnished  facts  of  my 
beloved  fathers  life.    I  have  stated  them  as  I  understand  them 


REVEREND  DANIEL  EFIRD. 


9 


having  gathered  and  verified  them  as  best  I  could  from  every 
available  source  ;  and  my  only  request  of  those  to  whom  this 
pamphlet  is  sent  is  that  they  properly  preserve  the  same,  for  soon 
these  things  will  be  forgotten  of  men  and  it  may  be  pleasant  for 
future  generations  to  refer  to-  them. 

C.  M.  EFIRD. 


